Mail-handling apparatus.



APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1908.

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No. 884,240. PATENTED APR. 7, 190a.

w. 0. THORNTON.

MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 14, 1908. l 2 SHE-Fri SHEET 2 W/TNESSES INVENTOB0 wi'zzmmqmamzm A TTOH/YE rs THE'NORRIS Psrsns col, WASHINGTON, n.c.

WILLIAM G. THORNTON, OF JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI.

MAIL-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Application filed January 14, 1908. Serial No. 410,723.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. THORN- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Jefferson City, in the county of Cole andState of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Mail-HandlingApparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to mail handling apparatus and more particularlyapparatus of this type for delivering mail bags from moving trains.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and efficientmail handling apparatus for delivering mail bags and similar objectsfrom moving trains, in such manner that injury and excessive wear of themail bags is obviated, and by means of which the delivery can beeffected from trains moving at high rates of speed.

A further object of the invention is to provide mail handling apparatuscomprising a movable receiver, which can be actuated so that the mailbag, when delivered to the re ceiver, falls upon the latter when it ismov ing at a rate of speed approximating that of the train, so thatthere is no sudden arresting of the momentum acquired by the bag.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthe class described, comprising a movable receiver, chutes fordelivering mail and other objects to the receiver, from a moving train,and means for actuating the receiver so that when the mail bag fallsthereupon, the receiver is moving in the same direction, and at a rateof speed approximately that of the train, whereby the momentum of thebag can be gradually overcome by slowly bringing the receiver to a sto'Fhe invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a planview showing a section of a railway track, with my invention at the sidethereof; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 3 isan enlarged longitudinal section of the receiver, on the line 3-3 ofFig. 4; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the receiver, showing the floor thereofbroken away; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing aportion of the receiver and a portion of one of the delivery chutes.

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention, itshould be understood that while it is particularly useful for deliveringmail bags from rapidly moving trains, it can also be used in connectionwith the delivery of other objects from moving carriers, for example,the delivery of packages from traveling vans, and the delivery ofmaterial from moving conveyers. been found that in delivering mail bagsfrom trains moving at high rates of speed, the wear and tear of the bagsincident to the throwing of the same upon station platforms and thelike, is excesslve.

ceive the bags, which often weigh as much as two hundred pounds each,owing to the great momentum which the bags acquire from the movingtrains. I provide a receiver which can be actuated so that the bag fallsupon the moving receiver, which is afterwards brought to a sto so thatthe momentum of the bag is graduall arrested. 1 provide chutes whichtaper t0 the receiver, and upon which the bags can be thrown, toslide oftheir own momentum to the receiver, the chutes offering practically noresistance to their-progress. The

It has Furthermore, it 1s a difficult matter properly to catch or re- Toobviate these difliculties arrangement is such that the bags can bedelivered from trains moving in opposite directions.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the. receiver 10 of myinvention is arranged adjacent to a railroad or other track 11. Thereceiver comprises, preferably, a substantially circular platform 12having arranged at the periphery, a cylindrical side wall 13. Thereceiver, as well as chutes which will be described hereinafter, may befashioned from any suitable material such as sheet metal or the like.The platform 12, at the under side, near the center, has separatedplates 14 provided with openings to receive a constricted part 16 of apivot member 15. The pivot member 15 is mounted at the center of asupport 17 having arms 18 radiating from the center. At thejunction ofthe constricted part 16 with the pivot member 15 is formed a'shoulder-19, which engages at receiver.

the under face of the lower plate 14. In this way, the platform isrotatably mounted upon the pivot, member.

The side wall 13 of the receiver is extended below the platform and isinwardly disposed to form an annular track 20. .Near the ends, the arms18 have bearing brackets 21 which carry the'rollers 22, engaging at thetrack 20 to, support the platform movably. Floor beams 23 have the innerends arranged between the plates 14 and extend toward the rim of-theplatform to engage between the track and the bottom of the platform.

A bevel gear 24 is movably mounted upon the pivot member 15 and is rigidwith the lower late 14. A shaft 25 is journaled in the sid es 26 of aframe arranged adjacent to the platform and has a bevel gear in meshwith the bevel gear 24. Between the sides 26, the shaft 25 has a pinion28 in mesh with a gear wheel 29 also revolubly carried between the sidesof the frame. A hand crank 30 rigid with the gear wheel, permits itsmanual operation.

Chutes 31 are arranged at each side of the receiver, substantiallyparallel to the length of the track. The chutes have tapered sections 32adjacent to the receiver and terminating near the receiver at the sidethereof adjacent to the track. The chutes are open, and at the deliveryends have covers 33, each inclined downward toward the receiver andprojecting beyond the ends of the chutes. The covers insure that thebags or other objects sliding along the chutes fall upon the receiver,and for this purpose extend over the receiver rim and slant downwardnearly to the center of the receiver.

When an object is to be delivered to the receiver from a train movingalong the track, the receiver is actuated by means of the hand crank 30,so that it has a peripheral movement adjacent to the track, in the samedirection as the train. The speed of the rotation of the receiver isregu ated so that its speed near the periphery is approximately equal tothe speed of the train. The mail bag is thrown from the train u on thechute first reached by the train, an the momentum of the bag carries italong the chute to the delivery end, from which it falls upon the Thecover 33 of the chute insures that the bag is properly delivered to thereceiver. As the receiver is moving in the same direction as the bag,the latter is not suddenly brought to a stop, but falls upon amoving'body, and consequently, there is no sudden shock or impact. Assoon as the bag falls upon the receiver, the operation of the latter canbe brought to a gradual stop so that the momentum acquired by the bag isslowly overcome.

It will be understood that if so desired, I can provide any preferred orcommon means for actuating the receiver, for example, a

prime mover or motor can be connected therewith. As the receiver can beturned in opposite directions, it is ada ted to receive objects fromtrains moving in 0th directions along the track.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a receiver arranged .to move continuously, means foractuating said receiver at different speeds and in diflerent directions,and means for delivering objects to said receiver. v

2. In combination, means for guiding and delivering objects, a receiverarranged to move continuously in the same direction as the objectdelivered to it, and means for mechanically actuating said receiver atdifferent speeds.

3. In combination, a rotatable receiver, means for rotating saidreceiver in opposite directions, and a plurality of chutes adapted todeliver objects to said receiver from opposite directions.

4. In apparatus of the class described, means for receiving objects insuch manner that the momentum of the objects, due to the movement of thetrain, is gradually overcome and means for driving said first meanswhereby the momentum is gradually overcome.

5. In apparatus of the class described, receiving means arrangedgradually to overcome the momentum of an object delivered from a trainand means for operating said receiving means whereby the rate at whichthe momentum is overcome can be regulated.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a receiver having means wherebythe receiver is mechanically actuated so that the momentum of an objectdelivered from a moving train to the receiver, is gradually overcome.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a receiver having an unlimitedmovement, and means at said receiver for mechanically actuating saidreceiver.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a receiver having an unlimitedmovement, means at said receiver for mechanically actuating saidreceiver, whereby it can be moved in opposite directions, and means fordirecting objects to said receiver.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a member arranged to move in thedirection of travel of a train, means at said receiver for mechanicallyactuating said member, and means for guiding an object from the train tosaid member.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a receiver arranged to move inopposite directions, means at said receiver for mechanically actuatingsaid receiver whereby it is moved in op osite directions, and means forguiding 0 jects to said receiver from opposite directions.

11. In mail handling apparatus, a rotatable receiver, means for rotatingsaid receiver in opposite directions, and a plurality of chutes fordirecting objects to'said receiver from opposite directions.

12. In apparatus of the class described, a receiver arranged to rotate,and a chute for directing objects to said receiver, said chute beinglocated so that it delivers to a portion of said receiver which moves inthe same direction as the direction of movement of the object along saidchute to said receiver.

13. In apparatus of the class described, a platform having a rim, saidplatform being rotatably mounted, means for rotating said platform,means for movably supporting said platform, and means for directingobjects to said platform.

14. In apparatus of the class described, a platform having a rim and atthe under side a circular track, means for pivotally mounting saidplatform, fixed rollers engaging at said track to su port said platform,means for rotating saic platform, and chutes arranged to deliver objectsto said platform from o posite directions.

15. n apparatus of the class described, a support having a pivot member,a platform rotatably mounted upon said pivot member and having a rimeXtendin above and below said platform, said rim, be ow said platformbeing formed into a circular track, said support having rollers engagingsaid track to support said latform, said platform having a gear, a sha thaving a gear in mesh with said first gear, means for manually o eratingsaid shaft, and means for directing o jects to said platform fromopposite directions.

16. In apparatus of the class described, a movable receiver, and chutesarranged to direct objects to said receiver from opposite directions,each of said chutes being tapered and having the delivery end projectingover said receiver, each of said chutes at the de livery end having acover arranged at an angle with the chute and the receiver, andextending further over the receiver than the chute.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. THORNTON.

